Thursday, August 27, 2015

The Messy Truth about Canning Corn

It is always amazing how you see pictures online

like this. . .just the end result of the day's labor

without seeing all that goes into it.

Many folks prefer to freeze corn, which I admit tastes pretty darned good.Freezer space will become precious to us here within the next couple months.So, we prefer to have it canned.It still has the delicious flavor of 'real corn'not like the tin-can flavor of what is bought in the store.This was our first batch of the year.Mr. LB must have thought I would be bored - hardy ha ha.He brought home 42 ears 'for me.'We ended up eating 2 off the cob and 2 were rottenso from 38 ears, we yielded 19 pints which may not sound like muchunless you are the one to do it.Here's how it went.Have jars and lids out and ready.You'll need a pint jar for every two ears (or quart for 4 ears.)I like to get everything I'll need out before I start,so you might read through completely then gather items before beginning.

First set up for huskin' the corn.

Never mind the junk in the background. I'll fill you in on that soon.

One basket for husks and one for corn.

Before you clean your corn, put a large pot about half full of water on to boil.

Proceed to clean the corn.

If you can do this outside, fabulous.

An outdoor kitchen is on our someday list, but for now it's in the kitchen.

Once the corn is cleaned and the water is boiling,

blanch the corn for 3 min.

This is to boil it for 3 min. then remove it.

I did this in batches since it wouldn't all fit in the pot at the same time,

and I was doing it alone

so I wouldn't have been able to keep up with 2 pots going.

Once one batch is out of the water,

I put the next in and take the hot corn over to the table where I have

my little de-cobbing set up.

I have a 1"X2" about 3 feet long with 2 nails stuck in it.

I just call this my corn stick and you can probably tell,

I've used it for a few years now.

If at some point, it wears out, it is easy enough to make another.

I set this over a large cauldron or bowl.

I am vertically challenged so I set it on a chair rather than the table.

Here's where it really starts getting messy.

I have an old towel over the table just because

I'm setting a bowl of hot corn on it.

Using a nifty little tool available in most marts,

I remove the corn from the cob.

It's so much easier than using a knife.

It does take both hands.Just start at the top and slightly turn as you press down.

I keep the basket of husks handy so I can just throwthe cobs in there.

Working quickly and in rounds as one batch comes out of the water

and another goes in, you can get one batch de-cobbed before

the next is ready to come out of the water.

We end up with a bunch of corn and a floor that looks like this . . .

I wasn't trying for this or being careless.

Some of those little kernels are just rebels and go flying.

The corn milk also squirts here and there.

We'll come back to this, but for now there is corn to can.

Fill jars up to about 1 inch below rim.

Add 1/2 tsp. of sea salt if you so desire. (1 tsp. for a qt.)

Add very hot water up to 1 inch below rim and seal with lid and rim.

Follow directions for your pressure canner, but mine is to process for 55 min.

This gives me plenty of time to wash up the caldron, bowls, tools, chair,

and even mop the floor.

After processing, removing the jars from the pressure canner,

and letting them cool on the counter, they can go on the shelf.

And now we've come full circle to the picture usually shown~

the pretty jars of food resting nicely on a pantry shelf

awaiting the perfect meal.

It may seem like a bit of work, but Mr. LB is probably sick of hearinghow much better this taste than store bought:)In other words: it's so worth it.Until next timeNimble Fingers and Even Stitches

It always amazes me that for all that corn it doesn't look like a big return. But yet it is though -the flavor can not be beat. Great job and I love your mess. I thought I was the only one with a mess after canning. Have a great day!

It is nice to see how you set up your kitchen for preparing corn. I have a lot of the same, but my board with a nail is larger and does not sit over a pot. That would sure beet it going onto the counter top. Thanks for the good useful information!

Say, welcome home:) We don't have luck growing corn in our canyon so we buy it, but those darn animals sure got to our broccoli this year before we could. We did get some, but I'm pretty sure they got the best of it.

There is a place at the water's edge where the pixies dance, the deer graze and a bossy chipmunk chatters orders from a nearby pine. Here I am, appreciating the quality and craftsmanship of many old items and attempting to live as naturally, healthily, and sustainably as possible. Some folks might call that old-fashioned; we call it responsible.

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